Truck.



PATRRTRD APR. z5, 1905. H. s. MERRELL. TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1904 u E: mmmwmmmmmm ,lllll lll-umm 1 NiTED STATES Patented April 25, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,414, dated April 25, 1905.

Appiicaioniuai November 9, 1904. semi No. 231,973.

fo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUBERT S. MERRELL, a citizen of the United States, and a i'esident of Sl'. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in rIrucks, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying' drawing's, forming a part hereof. A

My invention relates to improvements in trucks; and it consists of the novel features herein shown, described, and claimed.`

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a truck embodying the principles of my invention, the view being taken from above. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the truck, taken from below. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectionl longitudinally of the truck. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 44 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawings in the detail, the end walls 5 and 6 extend upwardly from the ends of the bottom 7 and the side walls 8 and 9 extend upwardly from the sides of the bottom 7 and connect the end walls together, supporting-brackets comprising the attaching-plates 10 and 11, formed integral at right angles to each other, and the attaching-plates 12 and 13, extending upwardly and outwardly from the plates 10 and 11, are secured to the vertical coi'ners formed bythe ends 5 and 6 and the sides 8 and 9, and the Haring end boards 14 and 15 and the flaring side boards 16 and 17 are secured to the brackets, so that the brackets and side and end boards may be removed from the body of the truck for packing and shipping. An opening 18 is bored through each of the sides 8 and 9 neai' their lower edges and at their.` longitudinal centers, and the attaching-plates 19 have lugs 2O extending from their centers and fitting` in the openings 18. The spindles 21 extend from the attaching-plates 19 at the opposite sides from the lugs 20, and the traction-wheels 22 are mounted upon said spindles, so as to pivotally support the body of the truck. The

U-shaped bumpers 23 are secured to the lower face of the bottom 7, one at each end and at the transverse centers, said bumpers being slightly elevated from the floor when the truck is in a horizontal position, and said bumpers serving to support the ends of the truck when it is tipped in eitlierdirection. Lower cleats 24 and 25 are secured to the 'inner faces of the'ends and 6 slightly below the vertical centers, and Lipper cleats 26 and 27 are secured to the inner faces of the ends 5 and 6 slightly above the vei'tical centers, said cleats 24 25 26 27 being horizontal and parallel, so as to support the loose bottom 28.

When it is desired to load the truck with comparatively light bulky goods, the loose bottom 28 may be bodily i'einoved and the goods piled upon the bottom 7. goods are being handled, the loose bottom 28 may be placed upon the cleats 24 and 25 and the goods piled upon the loose bottom, thereby avoiding' the necessity of lowering the goods to bottom 7 in loading the truck and raising the goods up from the bottom 7 in unloading the truck, and if very heavy goods are being handled the loose bottom 28 may be' placed upon the cleats 26 and 27 and the goods piled upon the loose bottom, thereby effecting a great saving in loading and unloading the truck.

By attaching the wheel-spindles to the sides 8 and 9 instead of mounting them upon a shaft running either through the sides or under the bottom a great saving in space is effected, because it is possible to place the bottom7 near the floor and `at the same. time use large wheels.

When it is desired to ship the trucks, the plates 19 may be removed and the wheels placed in the box. T he bumpers 23 may be removed and placed in the box and the side and end boards and brackets may be removed.

The'bumpers 23 pi'esent a rounded surface in position to contact with a slide along the iioor, and this operation of the bumpers will not produce the disagreeable noise produced by the loose wheels heretofore in use in trucks of this class.

I claim 1. In a truck; a suitable box; wheel-spindles projecting' outwardly from the side of the box and at the longitudinall centers; wheels upon the wheel-spindles; and supporting the box; iiaring sideboai'ds removably attached If heavier' IOC ' to the box; supporting-cleats in the box; and

ofthe faces 5 and 6 neer their centers; thc cleats 26 and 27 secured to the inner faces of the ends 5 and 6 above their centers and the loose bottom 28 adapted to be mounted upon either pair of cleats as desired.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification 1n presence ot two subscribing Wltnesses.

HUBERT S. MERRELL.

l/Vitnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKs, M. SCHULZE. 

